By: Sheets (Senate Sponsor - Hancock) H.B. No. 685
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 13, 2015;
April 30, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
Business and Commerce; May 18, 2015, reported adversely, with
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays
0; May 18, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 685 By: Huffines
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the production of public information under the public
information law.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 552.221, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows:
(b-1) In addition to the methods of production described by
Subsection (b), an officer for public information for a political
subdivision of this state complies with Subsection (a) by referring
a requestor to an exact Internet location or uniform resource
locator (URL) address on a website maintained by the political
subdivision and accessible to the public if the requested
information is identifiable and readily available on that website.
If the person requesting the information prefers a manner other
than access through the URL, the political subdivision,
notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, must supply
the information by:
(1) providing the public information for inspection or
duplication in the offices of the governmental body; or
(2) sending printed copies of the public information
by first class United States mail if the person requesting the
information requests that copies be provided and pays the postage
and any other applicable charges that the requestor has accrued
under Subchapter F.
(b-2) If an officer for public information for a political
subdivision provides by e-mail an Internet location or uniform
resource locator (URL) address as permitted by Subsection (b-1),
the e-mail must contain a statement in a conspicuous font clearly
indicating that the requestor may nonetheless access the requested
information by inspection or duplication or by receipt through
United States mail, as provided by Subsection (b-1).
SECTION 2. Section 182.052, Utilities Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
(e) A governmental body as defined by Section 552.003,
Government Code, may withhold information prohibited from being
disclosed under this section without the necessity of requesting a
decision from the attorney general under Subchapter G, Chapter 552,
Government Code.
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a request for information that is received by a governmental body or
an officer for public information on or after the effective date of
this Act. A request for information that was received before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
date the request was received, and the former law is continued in
effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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